Daily Labors: Marketing Identity and Bodies on a New York City Street Corner

Men who are looking for work as day laborers are a visible symbol of the changing nature of work and the demographics of workers in the United States. Carolyn Pinedo-Turnovsky's ethnography, "Daily Labors," considers these immigrants and citizens as active participants in their social and economic life, revealing how ideologies about race, gender, nation, and legal status operate on the corner and the vulnerabilities, discrimination, and exploitation workers face in this labor market.

\n Format: Paperback / softback
\n Length: 238 pages
\n Publication date: 08 March 2019
\n Publisher: Temple University Press,U.S.
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On street corners across the country, men gather or sit together patiently, eagerly awaiting the opportunity to secure employment. These day laborers, conspicuous representations of the evolving dynamics of work and the changing demographics of the workforce in the United States, stand out. Carolyn Pinedo-Turnovsky, in her captivating ethnography titled "Daily Labors," delves into the lives of African American men and Latino immigrant men who actively seek work as day laborers at a bustling street intersection in Brooklyn. Through her in-depth exploration, Pinedo-Turnovsky presents these immigrants and citizens as active contributors to their social and economic realm. They not only engage in wage-earning endeavors but also tirelessly strive to bring about change, generate knowledge, and impart new meanings to shape their social world.

Daily Labors unveils the intricate ways in which ideologies surrounding race, gender, nation, and legal status permeate the corner, as well as the vulnerabilities, discrimination, and exploitation faced by workers within this labor market. Pinedo-Turnovsky adeptly illustrates how workers strategically present themselves to align with employers' notions of a "good worker," inadvertently resulting in a paradoxical situation that exacerbates workplace precariousness. Ultimately, she sheds light on the concept of belonging, community, and the true essence of what it means to be a "good day laborer" for these individuals.

\n Weight: 298g\n
Dimension: 155 x 229 x 16 (mm)\n
ISBN-13: 9781439917435\n \n